Department for Transport

Road Traffic Offences: Young People

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of young people driving vehicles without (1) tax, or (2) insurance cover, as a consequence of not being able to afford those costs.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Her Majesty’s Government has not made any estimate of the number of young people driving vehicles without (1) tax, or (2) insurance cover, as a consequence of not being able to afford those costs.

Road Works

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulatory requirements are placed on utilities and other companies to notify residents of the reason for digging up their pavement or road; and what statutory safety requirements they must meet.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: There are no specific regulatory requirements for utilities and other companies (i.e. undertakers) to notify residents of the reasons for excavating pavements or roads. However, it may be a condition in certain authority areas where permit schemes are operating that undertakers provide advance publicity to residents of their intentions. There is also a national permit condition that requires undertakers to notify local residents and businesses but the condition is only meant to be applied where such notification is vital owing to the sensitivity of the location of the works. Where street works involve a road closure or the imposition of certain other temporary traffic restrictions, a Traffic Order is needed under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This legislation requires authorities to publish a notice in one or more local newspapers beforehand. They are also required to take other measures, such as placing notices along the affected street, if they consider it necessary to give adequate publicity to the order. With regard to statutory safety requirements, undertakers must comply with a statutory Code of Practice ‘Safety at Street Works and Road Works’. This Code is issued under Section 65 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and Section 174 of the Highways Act 1980.

Railways: Compensation

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to monitor train companies' policies for handling passenger claims under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: It is the responsibility of train operators, as service providers, to ensure that their customers are made aware of their rights to compensation or other redress in cases of service failure or disruption, and to handle any claims. Train operators’ own compensation schemes provide the main means of redress for passengers. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) came into force for all transport providers on 1 October 2016. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a designated enforcer of consumer law, and has been working with the Rail Delivery Group and individual train operators over the last year to raise their awareness of the CRA and their obligations under it. The ORR is currently reviewing train operators’ compliance with the rules around how refunds must be paid under the CRA.

East Suffolk Railway Line

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the shortage of capacity on the rail line between Ipswich and Felixstowe for both freight and passenger services, what consideration they have given to the use of a high quality rail replacement bus service in place of a passenger train at less busy times.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The specification and provision of rail replacement ‎ services is a commercial and operational matter for the operator and Network Rail.

Heathrow Airport

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish a full analysis of the improvements to surface access required by Heathrow expansion; what are the estimated costs of those improvements; and which bodies will be responsible for meeting those costs.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government is currently consulting on a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for airport expansion. This will set the framework for any planning process, should the NPS be designated. The draft NPS proposes targets to increase the number of airport users travelling by public transport. As part of any planning application the promoter would need to set out in detail how it would achieve these targets as part of its plans for mitigating the impact of expansion. The government expects, as set out in the Aviation Policy Framework 2013, the cost of any works required solely to enable airport expansion to be met by the promoter. For Heathrow this would be expected to include the cost of any works to the surrounding road network. Where proposed improvements had a wider benefit to non-airport users the government would consider these on a case by case basis.

Heathrow Airport

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to improve infrastructure around Heathrow airport to accommodate the expected increase in freight traffic once a third runway is built.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of whether Heathrow airport can increase its freight traffic by 80 per cent while achieving its commitment that expansion will not lead to an increase in road traffic.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government is currently consulting on the draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS). This will set the framework for any planning process, should the NPS be designated. Heathrow Airport has said that if it expands it will limit the number of freight vehicles to a level similar to today. As part of any planning application the promoter would need to set out in detail how it would achieve this as part of its plans for mitigating the impact of expansion.We welcome views on the proposed planning framework in response to the consultation.

Home Office

Refugees: Europe

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what Home Office officials are based in (1) France, (2) Greece, and (3) Italy; and what is the operational role of each official.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has a number of staff working across Europe, both bilaterally and through EU mechanisms, including secondments to the European Asylum Support Office and Frontex.Officials are working on a range of important issues, from tackling Organised Immigration Crime and Modern Slavery to securing effective transfers under the Dublin Regulation and Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, including in France, Italy and Greece. The Home Office takes this international cooperation very seriously and will continue to review the resources needed overseas to promote UK objectives.

Slavery

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Chartered Institute of Building toolkit Building a Fairer System: Tackling modern day slavery in construction supply chains, published on 13 July 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: We welcome the report and are encouraged that the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is taking the initiative to shine a light on and prevent modern slavery in the construction sector. We encourage other sectors to do the same.The report and related toolkit, which CIOB designed with Stronger Together, seek to raise awareness and advise on practical steps that construction professionals can take to address this problem.

UK Border Force: Migrant Workers

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many non-UK EU nationals are working on (1) passport checks, (2) e-passport gates, (3) immigration control, (4) customs checks, and (5) other UK border control checks, at each of the London airports of (a) Heathrow, (b) Stansted, (c) Gatwick, (d) City, and (e) Luton; and what is the breakdown of staff in each category, and at each airport, in terms of (i) full-time staff, (ii) part-time staff, and (iii) agency staff.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office undertakes checks to confirm that potential candidates meet the eligibility requirements to work in the UK.I am sorry but the Home Office does not record the nationality of employees on our IT systems and is unable to provide this information.

UK Border Force: Migrant Workers

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many non-UK EU nationals are employed by Border Force in total, either directly or through agencies, at all UK air and sea ports; and what proportion this represents of the total number of employees and agency staff.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office undertakes checks to confirm that potential candidates meet the eligibility requirements to work in the UK.I am sorry but the Home Office does not record the nationality of employees on our IT systems and is unable to provide this information.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Climate Change

lord donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 1 February (HL4937), what evidence they have for their statement that the observed evidence of global average surface temperature is not consistent with natural internal variability.

lord prior of brampton: Evidence that observed global average surface temperatures are not consistent with natural internal variability in the climate system can be found in Working Group I of the IPCC’s 5th Assessment Report (AR5 WGI).Observations show that global average surface temperature has risen by between 0.6 to 0.7°C since 1951. AR5 WGI concluded that it was virtually certain (>99% probability) that natural internal variability alone could not account for this observed increase in temperature. Amongst other reasons, it showed that the spatial pattern of observed warming differed from that associated with internal variability. AR5 WGI stated that more than half of the observed increase in global average surface temperature from 1951 to 2010 was extremely likely (> 95% probability) due to the anthropogenic increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and other anthropogenic forcings together.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

South Sudan: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government,further to the answer by Lord Bates on 23 February (HL Deb, col 411), what new initiatives they are taking to (1) stop the fighting in, (2) curtail the flow of weapons to, and (3) bring about better conditions for humanitarian aid to reach the people of, South Sudan.

baroness anelay of st johns: We remain deeply concerned by continued instability and the increasingly desperate humanitarian situation in South Sudan. Following the declaration of famine, the Secretary of State for International Development, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Member for Witham (Ms Patel) announced a £100 million package of emergency assistance that will help to provide vital life-saving nutritional, health and livelihoods support for the people of South Sudan. Together with our international partners, the UK continues to pursue every opportunity to call on all parties in the conflict in South Sudan urgently to cease all hostilities, ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it most and engage in a genuine, inclusive dialogue. Multilaterally, we are lobbying for support of a UN arms embargo, and continue to support the imposition of sanctions against those who would continue to block the path to peace. In addition, the deployment of 379 UK troops to the UN Mission in South Sudan has begun and will support the mission in carrying out its mandate to protect civilians.

South Sudan: Arms Trade

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bates on 23 February (HL Deb, col 411), whether they intend to ask the UN Security Council to reconsider imposing an arms embargo on South Sudan.

baroness anelay of st johns: An EU-wide arms embargo is already in place on South Sudan, and the UK has long called for the imposition of a UN arms embargo. We were therefore extremely disappointed that the US-led resolution imposing an arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions against those who continue to block the path to peace did not pass in the UN Security Council in December 2016. An arms embargo would help disrupt flows of heavy weaponry and ammunition; fewer weapons in South Sudan would have saved lives. We will continue to lobby on this issue.

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the statement by the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on 6 February, that (1) the scale of violence alleged to have been perpetrated by the Burmese security forces against the Rohingya community amounts to "dehumanization", and (2) the existing government of Burma commission is not a credible option to undertake a new investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in Rakhine state.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the existing government of Burma commission investigations into allegations of sexual violence in Rakhine State are credible and being conducted in line with the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

baroness anelay of st johns: We note with concern the statement made on 6 February by Adama Dieng, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, responding to a report published on 3 February by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which detailed a number of serious cases of human rights violations against the Rohingya by Burmese security forces.We have long had concerns about the systematic discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to resolve the recent violence there. I visited Burma in November 2016 where I pressed the Burmese Government to de-escalate its security operations and launch a credible investigation into reports of human rights violations. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) also visited in January and raised the same points. While Mr Sharma raised the same concerns with HE U Kyaw Tin in the margins of the UN Human Rights Council in February.We are now pursuing a robust resolution at the Human Rights Council in Geneva to renew the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur, Yanghee Lee, who has been instrumental in shining a spotlight on human rights in Burma, including in Rakhine. Her latest report is expected to issue shortly. We also support the Rakhine Advisory Commission led by Kofi Annan, which is mandated to provide advice on a long term solution to reconciling inter-communal strife in Rakhine. This Commission is due to present its findings in the summer.We agree with UN Special Adviser Dieng that the interim report of the Rakhine Investigation Commission into human rights violations in Rakhine since 9 October is not credible, including the methodology by which it determined there was insufficient evidence to take legal action over reports of sexual violence. It is at odds with a number of reports and testimonies from various human rights organisations to the contrary, including authored by the UN. The Burmese Government has now delayed the publication of the final report pending further investigations. We will await the final outcome of these investigations before making a judgement on its overall findings.

British Indian Ocean Territory

lord ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the 1976 UK–US Exchange of Notes concerning the British Indian Ocean Territories allows free use of the airfield and anchorage on Diego Garcia for aircraft and ships owned or operated by them, or on their behalf; and if so, whether they could charter civilian aircraft to transport Chagossians on (1) visits to, or (2) work opportunities in, the Chagos Islands.

baroness anelay of st johns: Ships and aircraft owned or operated by or on behalf of the Governments of the United Kingdom and United States may freely use the anchorage and airfield on Diego Garcia. A civilian aircraft chartered by Her Majesty's Government would fall within this scope. Under the Exchange of Notes, routine access to Diego Garcia is restricted to: members of the Forces of the United Kingdom and of the United States; the Commissioner and public officials in the service of the British Indian Ocean Territory; representatives of the Governments of both countries; and, subject to normal immigration requirements, contractor personnel. Access for any other person, ship or aircraft requires prior consultation between the appropriate administrative authorities of the two Governments.The facilities on Diego Garcia are intended for military use and it is unlikely that approval would be granted under the Exchange of Notes for a charter aircraft carrying visitors to land. Any Chagossians who were successful in securing employment on Diego Garcia with the US contractor would be transported in the same manner as all other employees after the completion of security checks.

Egypt: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the vulnerability of Coptic Christians and other religious minorities in Egypt.

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to help the government of Egypt provide for the security and well-being of religious minorities in Egypt.

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have taken place with the government of Egypt regarding the recent attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt, including in Al-Arish, Sinai.

baroness anelay of st johns: We deplore all discrimination against religious minorities and constraints on their freedom to practise their faith. The Egyptian constitution contains protections for freedom of religious belief and it is important that these rights are respected.Coptic Christians make up approximately 10% of Egypt's population. There were at least 41 reports of sectarian incidents in Egypt in 2016.We have regularly raised our concerns about the deterioration in the human rights situation with the Egyptian government, including issues affecting Christians and other minorities. We welcome President Sisi's consistent calls for peaceful coexistence and the Government of Egypt's expression of support for the rights of Christians and for religious tolerance.

Israel: Bedouin

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to prevent the demolition of the village school in Al Khan al Ahmar in the Occupied Territories.

baroness anelay of st johns: The British Government is gravely concerned about continued demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities, including plans to demolish the Bedouin village of Khan al Ahmar. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) raised this issue with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 1 March. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv last raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities on 28 February.

Iraq: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 20 February (HL5247), what percentage of funds distributed under the Magna Carta Fund in 2016 were allocated to projects promoting interreligious dialogue and co-operation in Iraq and the right to freedom of religion or belief for all of Iraq’s religious communities.

baroness anelay of st johns: The UK's Magna Carta Programme in financial year 2015-2016 spent £115,000 in Iraq, which represented 1% of the programme's total spend. That money helped deliver an education programme on religious freedom to Iraqi schools, as well as a training course on international law and freedom of religion or belief to religious leaders, human rights advocates, academics and journalists. In financial year 2016-2017, there is no Magna Carta project focused solely on Iraq, but a £153,000 project (1.44% of the total fund) will promote legal and social protection for freedom of religion or belief across the region – including in Iraq.

Iraq: International Assistance

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 20 February (HL5242), what percentage of the £9.25 million pledged by the UK to the UN's Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation has been provided.

baroness anelay of st johns: The £9.25 million UK pledge to the UN's Funding for Immediate Stabilisation (FFIS) originally included funding allocated to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Integrated Reconciliation Programme. At the request of the UNDP, who are responsible for the management of the FFIS and Reconciliation projects, this has now been created as a standalone project. The UK has delivered more than our initial pledge to this Reconciliation project. Therefore, the UK's revised commitment to the FFIS is £8.82 million and the UK has so far delivered approximately 76% of this and the remainder will be delivered in the coming months.

Department for Education

Breakfast Clubs

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in each local authority area, how many (1) children arrive at school without eating breakfast, and (2) breakfast clubs are being run.

lord nash: The department does not collect or hold this information.

Schools: Defibrillators

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools in England and Wales have direct access to defibrillators.

lord nash: We do not hold information on those schools that have direct access to defibrillators.We know however, how important swift access to a defibrillator can be in cases of cardiac arrest, which is why the Government is encouraging schools and other eligible settings to purchase a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment.To make it as easy as possible for schools to do so, the Department has negotiated a deal with NHS Supply Chain to offer defibrillators to schools at a reduced cost. Since the scheme was launched in November 2014, 1967 defibrillators have been purchased through this route.

Refugees: Children in Care

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to (1) the correspondence sent by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 20 February on behalf of ECPAT UK concerning missing, trafficked and unaccompanied children, and (2) the findings of the report by ECPAT UK, Heading back to harm, published in November 2016, that (a) a number of local authorities were unable to provide figures on the number of trafficked and unaccompanied children who had gone missing from care and had not been found, (b) some police forces did not hold figures on the number of children reported missing to them who were trafficked or unaccompanied, and (c) 167 trafficked and 593 unaccompanied children had gone missing from care in the year to September 2015.

lord nash: Baroness Williams has received the correspondence sent by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 20 February on behalf of ECPAT UK and will respond in due course.There is nothing more important than keeping vulnerable children safe from harm. The Government’s comprehensive framework for safeguarding all children includes making sure local authorities are aware of the risk that they may go missing due to being trafficked.Local authorities have a duty to record data on every episode of a child missing from care or away from placement without authorisation and to report on this, as well as on the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children for whom they are responsible, through their annual data returns on looked after children.The National Crime Agency is also working with the relevant police leads to ensure the consistent recording of figures on the number of children reported missing to them who were trafficked or unaccompanied.In developing the strategy for the safeguarding of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children, we will be consulting with local authorities to identify further actions that might be taken to prevent these children going missing.

Training: Company Liquidations

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when a private training provider goes into liquidation, students are refunded the fees that they paid for their training.

lord nash: Where a private provider of Further Education goes into liquidation the Government will take steps to ensure that any government-funded learners who are affected by the liquidation are given an opportunity to transfer to another provider, with minimal disruption, so as to complete their study.Learners with Advanced Learner Loans will have any scheduled loan payments frozen until such time as they are successfully placed at a new provider.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Social Enterprises

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage social enterprise opportunities in the adult and juvenile prison systems.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to making prisons work, so that offenders come out of prison better able to find work and support their families, and less likely to reoffend. Governors are responsible for deciding whether social enterprise opportunities are the best option for offenders in their prisons. We have taken steps to empower governors so they have freedom over internal levers and polices to increase employment opportunities, and we will hold them to account for the outcomes achieved. We will also give governors control of education budgets so they are able to choose their education provider. Education providers in YOIs also have contracted responsibilities to work alongside Governors to identify suitable education, training and employment pathways and to work with organisations in communities to realise opportunities for young people leaving custody.

Personal Injury: Compensation

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) who will benefit from the proposed reduction in the Ogden discount rate, and (2) who will be most adversely affected by consequent increased costs in car insurance premiums.

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what equality impact assessment was undertaken prior to the decision to reduce the Ogden discount rate; and what assessment they have made of the impact on low income car drivers.

lord keen of elie: On 27 February the Lord Chancellor reduced the personal injury discount rate set under section 1 of the Damages Act 1996 to minus 0.75%. It would have been unlawful for the Lord Chancellor not to have taken action once the consultation and review process in relation to the discount rate was complete. Under the law it is clear that the Lord Chancellor may not be influenced by the impact on defendants in setting the rate. In setting the rate the Lord Chancellor complied with the legal principles relevant to the setting of the discount rate and the Public Sector Equality Duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. The Government acknowledges that the change in the rate will have significant implications across the public and private sectors and has committed to review the legal framework for the setting of the rate to ensure it remains fit for purpose in the future. A consultation paper will be published before Easter. Following the consultation, the government will consider whether there is a better or fairer framework for claimants and defendants, and bring forward any necessary legislation at an early stage.

Prisoners: Death

lord knight of weymouth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the respective responsibilities of (1) the Coroner, (2) the police, (3) the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, and (4) the Crown Prosecution Service, in respect of a death in prison.

lord keen of elie: In the event of a death in prison in England and Wales the police and Crown Prosecution Service will proceed in accordance with the Appropriate Handling of Crimes in Prisons protocol which was agreed in 2015 between the National Offender Management Service, the CPS and the National Police Chiefs’ Council. A copy of the protocol can be found on the CPS website. Prisons have guidance, the Prison Service Safe Custody Guidance, which can be found on the Ministry of Justice website. All prison deaths are initially treated as potential homicides and the Senior Coroner for the area in question has a duty to undertake an inquest into the death. The coroner may issue a Report to Prevent Future Deaths. In addition, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will undertake an independent investigation to identify any learning points and contribute to safer custody and offender supervision. Prisons and the police are devolved matters in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Higher Education: Data Protection

lord smith of finsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to ensuring that higher education universities, colleges, and institutions are not designated as public authorities for the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation.

lord ashton of hyde: The General Data Protection Regulation will apply in the UK from 25th May 2018. HMG is currently considering its legislative approach in respect of the member state flexibilities that are available across a range of affected issues.

Telecommunications: Planning Permission

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 6 December 2016 (HL3759), whether they are aware of instances in which an infrastructure provider has given false information to an elected parish council in order to avoid compliance with paragraph 1.2 of the Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice on sharing infrastructure with other infrastructure providers; and if so, what action they have taken in response.

lord ashton of hyde: We are not aware of an infrastructure provider giving false information to a parish council in relation to the infrastructure sharing guidance in the Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice. The Department received a complaint from a parish council about its proposal that a communications infrastructure provider could share a trench owned by a different provider as an alternative to erecting a new pole. My officials investigated the issue and I understand that the proposal was fully explored by the communications infrastructure provider but rejected on the grounds of cost and technical difficulty. A detailed explanation was provided to the parish council by the provider. The Parish Councillor also asked the Department for the contact details of the secretariat for the independent working group, which is responsible for reviewing compliance with the Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice. We provided these, and passed on details of his complaint to the group.

Hearing Aids

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential risk of disruption and interference to Bluetooth hearing devices from overcrowding on the free ISM band.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to protect the use of Bluetooth technology in hearing devices from overcrowding of the ISM band 2.4GHz.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being considered to ensure a guard band of 20MHz as a buffer to protect the Bluetooth application in hearing devices.

lord ashton of hyde: Ofcom is the independent spectrum regulator accountable to parliament for such matters. They inform me that the band is a licence exempt band which means it is free to use, without licence, but also that all users operate on the basis that they must not cause interference to others and that they can expect no additional protection themselves. However, we recognise that assisted listening devices are important and hence Ofcom have taken steps to undertake additional testing to determine if the band is likely to face any interference from adjacent bands. Results of this testing are due shortly. With regard to your question about overcrowding in the band, Ofcom has been moving to make additional spectrum available in other bands for Wi-Fi as soon as possible.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to the daily living activity 3 of the Personal Independence Payment assessment, how many people have scored points on descriptors c, d, e or f for (1) new claims, and (2) Disability Living Allowance reassessments, (a) before, and (b) since, November 2016.

lord henley: The table below give statistics on the number of people who scored on descriptors c, d, e or f on Activity 3 of their assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for both new claimants and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) reassessments from April 2013 to 8th September 2016. Table 1 – Number of PIP claimants who scored on descriptor c, d, e or f on Activity 3 of their PIP assessmentNumber scoring c, d, e or f on Activity 3April 2013 to 8 September 2016New claims71,140DLA Reassessments19,210Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Data beyond September 2016 is not readily available.

Personal Independence Payment

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government with reference to the mobility activity 1 of the Personal Independence Payment assessment, how many people have scored points on descriptors d or f for (1) new claims, and (2) Disability Living Allowance reassessments, (a) before, and (b) since, November 2016.

lord henley: The table below give statistics on the number of people who scored on descriptors d or f on Activity 11 (mobility activity 1) of their assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for both new claimants and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) reassessments from April 2013 to 8th September 2016. Table 1 – Number of PIP claimants who scored on descriptor d or f on Activity 11 of their PIP assessmentNumber scoring d or f on Activity 11April 2013 to 8 September 2016New claims69,250DLA Reassessments82,080Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Data beyond September 2016 is not readily available.

Personal Independence Payment

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the percentage of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) recipients who have received a reduced award as a result of recently announced changes to mobility activity 1 of the PIP assessment.

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the percentage of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) recipients who have received a reduced award as a result of recently announced changes to mobility activity 3 of the PIP assessment.

lord henley: The recently announced changes refer to daily living activity 3 and mobility activity 1 of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment. No recipients of PIP awarded by the Department for Work and Pensions have received a reduced award as a result of recently announced changes to these activities.

Personal Independence Payment

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions the Department for Work and Pensions has had with disability charities ahead of the recently announced changes to mobility activity 1 and 3 of the Personal Independence Payment assessment.

lord henley: The Department for Work and Pensions has regular and ongoing discussions with disability organisations on a range of issues related to Personal Independence Payment. As part of this on-going engagement Ministers have been in contact with a number of stakeholders, including disability charities, to discuss and explain the changes that we have introduced.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Non-native Species

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost to the British economy of the control of invasive non-native species; and whether those costs are increasing or decreasing.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government recognises the significant threat posed by invasive non-native species to our native wildlife, as well as their cost to the economy. The Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International’s report “The Economic Cost of Invasive Non-Native Species on Great Britain”, published in 2010, estimated the cost from these species to be £1.7 billion per annum, which includes both damage caused and the cost of control.We do not have data to indicate how the cost of control has changed since 2010 but recognising the growing threat posed by these species, the Government launched the GB Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy in 2008. This comprehensive strategy ensures that we concentrate our efforts on prevention and rapid responses to species before they become fully established. For instance, we took early action to address the threats posed by water primrose by banning its sale in 2015, and instigating a successful eradication programme.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Sleeping Rough

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many rough sleepers there are in the UK; how are figures that calculate the number of rough sleepers collated; and what methods have been adopted to improve the collation of that data.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We are determined to face up to the problem of rough sleeping. The Department for Communities and Local Govt. overhauled the methodology for counting rough sleepers in 2010, requiring every council to report the number of rough sleepers in their area.This year, we published demographic data on rough sleepers for the first time. This covers gender, age and nationality.The annual rough sleeping statistics release contains a full explanation of the methodology of the counts and estimates in England, including the new demographic data. They can be found (attached) on gov.uk.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/585713/Rough_Sleeping_Autumn_2016_Statistical_Release.pdfAs housing is devolved, the Welsh Assembly Government, Northern Ireland Executive and the Scottish Government publish homelessness statistics separately.http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/?subtopic=Homelessness&lang=enhttp://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/RefTables#Publicationshttp://www.nihe.gov.uk/index/advice/homelessness_introduction/rough_sleeping.htm  



Annual Rough Sleeping Statistics
(PDF Document, 696.43 KB)

Local Government: Birmingham

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to appoint Commissioners to administer Birmingham City Council.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In January 2015 the Department for Communities and Local Government, together with Birmingham City Council, established an Independent Improvement Panel to support and challenge the council in implementing the recommendations set out in Lord Kerslake’s review, which reported in December 2014.The Panel have provided regular updates to the Secretary of State on the progress made by Birmingham City Council, and submitted their most recent update on 24 February. The letter is available (attached) at the following link: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/file/5971/letter_to_the_secretary_of_state_for_communities_and_local_government_24_february_2017The Secretary of State is now considering the Panel’s letter, and will respond in due course.



The Panel's Letter to the SOS
(PDF Document, 160.91 KB)

Local Government: Birmingham

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will bring forward plans to divide Birmingham City Council into smaller authorities, with or without changing boundaries with existing local authorities.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government has no plans to divide Birmingham City Council into smaller authorities.

Holiday Accommodation: Greater London

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2 March (HL Deb, col 941) that London boroughs can already apply to the Secretary of State for consent to restrict short-term letting in a particular area where necessary, how many such applications from London boroughs have been received, and how many have been granted.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: One application has been received. The application was not granted.The London Borough which submitted the application was invited to re-submit the application with a more targeted approach to identify the problem properties from which it considered the right to short-term let should be suspended.

Affordable Housing: Construction

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the New Civic Housebuilding model, developed by Shelter, in order to address the supply of affordable housing in Britain today.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government welcomes the report from Shelter as a helpful contribution to the housing debate. The Government agrees with the assertion that the current business model for delivering homes cannot address the housing shortage alone.That is why we are determined to diversify the housing market, with the White Paper setting out measures to support smaller and medium sized builders, boost productivity and innovation by encouraging modern methods of construction, and attract investors into the development of homes for rent as well as for sale.

HM Treasury

Crown Lands and Estates

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance is provided on the insertion of Crown savings clauses into government bills; and whether their insertion is determined by individual departments.

baroness neville-rolfe: The Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) has published a series of guides, one of which is on Crown Application. This is publicly available and can be found on GOV.UK under ‘publications by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel’. Individual departments instruct the OPC on the drafting of Bills for which they have policy and handling responsibility, but there is a central process by which the content and drafting of Bills is collectively agreed. Guidance on the legislative process and an explanation of taking a Bill through Parliament can also be found on GOV.UK.

Overseas Loans: Republic of Ireland

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have of how much money is owed to them by the government of Ireland; and when this money will be repaid.

baroness neville-rolfe: I refer the noble Lord to the most recent statutory report on the UK’s bilateral Loan to Ireland, which the Treasury provided to Parliament as required by Section 2 of the Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The last report was laid in Parliament on 13 October 2016 and is available in the Printed Paper Office. The timetable for repayment set out in this report remains unchanged.

Financial Markets

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a hard Brexit on the integrity of the financial markets and of the ability to protect customers following a change in the regulatory frameworks.

baroness neville-rolfe: We are determined to secure the best possible deal for UK goods and services in our negotiations to leave the EU. As we go through the period of negotiations, we want to give certainty and clarity wherever possible and as quickly as possible. The Great Repeal Bill will enable the Government to incorporate existing standards into British law on the day of departure.

Financial Services: Regulation

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the creation of an international financial services regulator to take on the role of financial services regulation currently undertaken by EU and UK organisations.

baroness neville-rolfe: We retain our commitment to close international regulatory cooperation, including with the remaining EU. The detail of how existing cooperation will translate into our future relationship will be an important part of discussions with European partners.

Department of Health

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have taken place with the Food Standards Agency concerning their plans to cut the overall number of inspections of abattoirs, in the light of reports that one in four are failing to take basic hygiene precautions.

lord o'shaughnessy: No discussions have taken place with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as there are no plans to cut the overall number of inspections in abattoirs. The FSA spends around £45 million per annum conducting a large number of inspection, verification, enforcement and audit tasks at approved meat establishments to ensure compliance with the regulations. These controls extend beyond meat inspection duties and encompass areas as diverse as animal welfare, zoonotic controls, animal by-products and microbiological sampling.

NHS Property Services

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to replace NHS Property Services Ltd; and if so, whether they are considering a private sector model for its future ownership, and whether an external consultant has been appointed to identify ownership options.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to replace Community Health Partnerships; and if so, whether they are considering a private sector model for their future ownership.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department is developing plans to establish a new National Health Service property organisation, in response to early recommendations made by Sir Robert Naylor’s ongoing review of the NHS estate. We are committed to ensuring that the new organisation fully supports and reflects the needs and priorities of the NHS. A key function of the new organisation will be to provide a single strengthened source of strategic estates planning expertise for the NHS. This will build on the support that existing teams in NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships have been providing to the NHS locally, including in the development of estates proposals as part of sustainability and transformation plans. An external consultant has been appointed to support us in this work. Further details on the proposed new organisation, including its organisational form and models for its future ownership, will be set out in due course.